Paar ae ELECTIONS IPROVE NEED FOR UNITY by T. A. EWEN PAGE SIX The People’s Advocate BOB KERR— | POLITICAL : COMMISSIONER by WM. PURVIS PAGE FOUR Rea Published Weekly: VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1937 Single Copies: 5 Cents VOL. IIL. No. 22: FULL No, 127 3,000 PAPER WORKERS ORGANI Placing Of ILA On Waterfront Next Big Task Trades & Labor Council Hears Four International Union Organizers Report On Drives To Unionize BC Industries A battery of four internationai union organizers roused a crowded meeting of Trades and Labor council delegates here to a high pitch of enthusiasm Tuesday night, when each re- ported phenomenal success in union drives on industries longs regarded as impregnably “open shop,” making Beatty street Labor headquarters resound with applause to speeches that were at once a challenge to powerful BC corporations and an inspiration to those building a powerful trade union move- ment in British Columbia. Introduced by Actine-President Jamieson, who has held this office Since the recent death of Colin Me- Donald, Haryey White, dynamic in- ternational officer for the Pulp, Sul- phite and Paper-makers Union, re- ported the near-completion of his work in the province and announced that at midnicht he would relinquish office to Jim Killen, whom he intro- duced to the Trades and Labor Coun- cil as “my canable successor.”’ Payine a tribute to the efficiency and co-operation of local organizers there, White reported on the estab- lishment of the union in Powell River, saying, “‘- . . not only the paper makers, but also the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers will all be wearing the union button.’’ Laughter greeted his report on the paper mill in New Westminster, the management of which was hos- tile to Wohite’s request that a pleb- iscite be taken this week on the guestion of the union. ‘Dhis outfit felt much the same way as Powell River operators. They didn’t like us one little bit,’ Said White with 2 broad smile, ‘But they will come around alright,” Recruit 600 At Ocean Falls. dim Willen, a magnificently built young fellow, supplemented White’s report, stating that 600 men were signed up in Ocean Falls and 500 applications for union membership on the books. : “A g00d- job of organizing was done at Port Alice, where we Sign- ed up 400 men and then we followed on to Wood Fibre with 200 appli- cations,” said Killen. Short, stocky and sparing of words, International Organizer Dit- reich of the International TLong- shoremen’s Association received tre- mendous applause from delesates when he called upon organized labor in BC to assist the ILA “‘to crack that Shipping Federation.” “I’m here,” he said, “to make a thorough survey of the situation in order that the ILA shall be put on the waterfront where it belon¥s.” Immediate intention of the TILA is to Set up a sub-district council whieh will have jurisdiction over BC ports. ibast of the big-time organizers to address the council was the Cana- dian representative of the Interna- tional Ladies’ Garment Workers, R. W. Langer, who gave a remarkable talk on his union’s activities in Eastern Canada. While reporting on the rapid unionization in the needle trades, Langer, who is a forceful speaker, dealt largely with the political set- up in Quebec aS an obstacle to the trade unions. ‘ Tells of Garment Workers’ Struggle. “Our union eracked the Quebec stronghold of reaction and broke down the phoney union dominated by employers and church digni- taries,” he declared. Telling a moving story of the re- cent great stand of 5000 sarment workers in Montreal for union rec- eenition after a lone period of fear and inaction, the trim Canadian representative held his audience of labor Uelezates spellbound. “Wirst it Was the biggest church cardinal in the province who spoke over the radio, demanding that the imfamous padlock law be enforced. But that did not budge those gir “Premier Duplessis himself threat- ened to arrest all union officials, and kick every non-resident from the province, but he could no noth- ing with our esirls who stood by their demands; and the appeals of the sham unions with no member- ship left them cold,’ said Langer. Affiliation of his wnion to the CIO was responsible for his indirect reference to this big question when he warned of “the great crisis con- fronting the labor moyement in Ganada which must be squarely faced at the next Trades and Labor Congress,’ to his intent audience. Langer installed a local of his BC Gets $250 Ambulance Quota Quick Response To Spain Aid A ppeal —_- — Its objective reached in two weeks’ intensive Gampaigning, due prin- cipally to a magnificent collection donation of $102, the Spanish am- bulanee Committee of the Commun- ist Party of BC reported to the PA this week that a cheque for $250 Was mailed to the national commit- tee and that, in view of the quick response to Republican Spain’s appeal for assistance, the Campaign for more funds will be continued. With considerable pride, Mrs, N. Mathieson, ambulance committee Secretary, in an imterview dis- played the money order for 5102-35 sent by the boys in Camp 104, Otter Point, a relief project on the west coast of Vancouver Island whieh the government closed down a few days after the collection for Spain was taken. Mrs. Mathieson, herself a mother of grown sons, was visibly affected by this self-sacrifice on the part of young fellows, who, knowing that Starvation awaited them in Vancou- ver and Victoria, did more than was asked of them by the Communist party, of which there were 27 mem- bers in this camp. Party members in the trade unions also responded generously to the ambulance fund, stated Mrs. Mathie- son. She plans to extend the time limit of the campaign despite ac- complishment of the quota of $250 Set for BC by the CP central com- mittee. ZED IN B.C. Labor Suspects First N Strike Fund For Miners Is Growing Operators Attempting To Starve Men Back To Work MORE AID NEEDED WELLS, BC, June 17.—De- feating every manoeuvre of the operators to split their ranks, striking miners of the Cariboo Gold Quartz and Island Mountain mines con- tinue to hold out for their just demands which are backed by a majority of citizens, including small businessmen. Efforts made by LeBourdais, Lib- eral candidate and the Board of Trade, to get the men back to work without any company guarantees while they have been rejected by the men, indicate a Srowing uneasi- ness at the situation on the part of the operators who continue to main- tain an arrogant front. Hinancial support is coming to the union from -yartous sources, due mainly to the excellent publicity work of the strike committee. Toronto Uneasy Meanwhile, in Toronto, financial corresponGence from British Colum- bia informs market plungers that Striking miners at Cariboo Gold Quartz and Island Mountain “have little outside assistance toward sub- sistence allowance,”’ and the ‘‘Inter- national CIO” the strike with funds, and that the only financial help is coming, from voluntary contributions from miners in some of the other BC camps. Foreign capital is well represented in Cariboo Gold Quartz, too; O. H. Solibakke, Seattle Promoter, is on the board of directors. All unions, particularly those of the miners throughout BC are urged to send financial assistance to the Strike and ensure that the opera- tors plan to starve the men back to work, fails. Send funds to Jimmy. Young, chairman, Relief Committee, Wells, BC. THREATENS LEGAL ACTION NEW YORK.—(PP)—Hintine that j a legal action is being planned, President Mervyn Rathborne of the American Radio Telegraphists skeleton crew working full time. 2,000 New Subscriptions! We had intended to write this editorial ourselves. We wanted to impress our readers with the importance of the drive the People’s Advocate is launching next week for 2,000 new half-yearly and yearly subscriptions before Sept. 1. We wanted to stress the necessity of increasing the influence of this newspaper among the people for whom it speaks. But instead, the gallant Canadians of the Mackenzie- Papineau battalion fighting in Spain for those things we struggle for in Canada will make our appeal for us. No words we could write would have the insistency of the few brief sentences we received this week from these men in the Cana- dian battalion who are face to face with the reality of those dangers always to threaten others. but “We boys of the Mackenzie our best,” they write. “We touch with the workers’ to peace and progress which to some of us seem never ourselves. -Papineau battalion send you certainly want to be in closest movement at home. The best and only way is by receiving the paper we know So well. It brings to mind many of the days the People’s Advocate alive. “We call on all supporters build our paper to a bigger and we went out canvassing to keep of the People’s Advocate to better one.” With reactionary forces consolidating their strength for 2 new onslaught on the democratic liberties of the Canadian people, in the struggle to build trade unions and a united people’s movement, the People’ weapon. But only insofar as s Advocate can be a michty the clarity of its message reaches an ever-widening circle. Z That is why we call upon our readers to aid us in obtain- ing these 2,000 new subscribers. every reader’ should be our slogan. “One new subscriber for | | | | And if every present subscriber responds we shall he away and gone above our goal, Police Ban Spain Meeting Resurgemce of police autocracy- at Princeton, BC, Jast week, pre— vented the holding of a mass meet— ing there on Spain, reported Arthur E. Evans, travelling spokesman for the Spanish ambulance committee, - to the committee’s secretary in Van— couver who immediately wired = protest to Premier Pattullo in the name of the committee, Evans stated in his letter that he and R. Campbell, were accosted by the police within a few minutes of enterine Princeton, and taken to the police station for an inyvestiga— tion. Police, who had previously tor down sll posters advertising the meeting, save them 30 minutes toa Set out of town. Because of their provocative at titude and the fact that his litera— ture might be confiscated, Evans: decided under protest to continue his journey. The following is a copy of the wire sent to the Premier: We strongly protest police perse-— cution of Arthur Hvans in Princeton: when he was refused permission to hold meeting and offered choice of aving town or goine to jail. Evans; is touring province in support of Canadians fighting for democratic: les in Spain which same prin- ciples in this province your govern— ment }¢ fesses to uphold.—Spanisi= Ambulance lund committee. eae